Pulling On The Strings
by DramaQueen1133
Summary: In a dusty old pub, a drunk Jack Harkness gives the Doctor an idea. What if he could change things? Pull on the strings of time to get Rose and Donna back?...What would happen if the Doctor follows it through, choosing to ignore the consequences?
1. The Idea

**Well, I'm sorry for not updating anything lately...my puppy had a big operation to remove his eye. So I haven't been in the mood to even think about writing. But all is well now, and I just thought of a new idea for a story...so I hope you like. And for once, I have a plan of where this is going lol. Enjoy. xx**

* * *

It all started with a pub. A smoky, ancient, perfectly ordinary pub. Where two remarkably unordinary men had decided to catch up on the recent if tragic events in their lives. Where an idea muttered by a Captain in a drunken stupor had twisted and planted itself into the brilliant mind of a Time Lord.

* * *

It had been a perfectly ordinary day....for the Doctor that is. He saved two planets at once which was an achievement even by his standards. No one had died, and the day was looking up. So when his phone had started to ring, he answered it with a cheerful hello.

"Doctor?" He brightened as he heard the muffled voice of Captain Jack Harkness float from the end of the phone.

"Jack! Long time no see, eh?" The Doctor flopped into the worn sofa in the control room, pleased to talk with his old friend. To be honest with himself, he was kind of yearning for company, even he could only be alone for so long.

"Yeah, well, lot's of things have been happening." The voice coming from the phone seemed meek and small, not at all like the bold sound the Doctor was accustomed to from the Captain.

"Jack...are you alright?" A frown twitched about his face as he heard a suffering sigh from the reciever.

"Yeah. Look, I was thinking, maybe it's time for you and me to go for a drink?" The Doctor sat forwards in his seat as the monotone voice of the usually bright Captain rolled out of the phone.

"Yeah, just give me your date and coordinates, and I'l be there."

* * *

That was how the Doctor soon found himself sitting on a hard stool with a fraying cushion, listening to Jack's story of the 456. Of the deaths that had happened, and the horror of chosing between his own Grandson and hundreds of others. And in return the Doctor told him what had happened on Mars, and of the death of the woman he had so admired. The shame and guilt of depriving her of a hero's death. Soon enough the atmosphere around them both was so thick with depression and something more like self loathing, that everyone in the pub had started to give them a wide berth. Drink upon drink was bought until Jack had consumed enough to be classified as completely and utterly wasted.

"I envy you sometimes Doctor." Jack said as he stared into the depths of his newest drink, wondering how his life had ended up here. The Doctor looked up at him with an aged look upon his own face.

"Jack Harkness if you knew anything about my life then you wouldn't." Each word was forced through gritted teeth, the Doctor almost angry for anyone believing that his life was anything worth envying. Jack gazed at him for a moment with bleary eyes before swinging back the last of his beer.

"Well, think about it. You can go about travelling, doing what you will. It's a distraction. While people like me have no option but to sit in bars like this and drink ourselves into a wreck." The Doctor raised an eyebrow at the man beside him.

"You sound like you've given up. The Jack I know wouldn't do that. Not on my life." In a sudden wave of fury, Jack slammed the glass onto the table, the surrounding parties looking up briefly to check the source of disturbance. As the gazes left them, Jack leaned into the Doctor.

"It's my fault that my team died. Owen, Tosh…and now Ianto…" His voice cracked as the memories boiled in his head.

"I'm sorry. You and Ianto were-"

"Yes, I remember." The Doctor frowned as Jack hissed at him.

"Jack…if you let this consume you, then you'll turn out like me. Unable to let anyone close to you because you're scared of losing them. Scared of hurting yourself. I don't want to see anyone let alone you turn out like me." He said softly, trying to work some sort of comfort into his words. But Jack just shook his head.

"No. I can't…how did you do it, Doctor? When you lost Donna? Rose? Or even when Martha left you…how could you just move on?" The Doctor bristled in anger.

"I didn't just move on-"

"If I were you, I'd just go back and change it. Change the timeline, do whatever I needed to do to keep them safe. With me." The Doctor stared at him with something akin to wonder.

"Jack, that would change too much…I would if I could, but it would change so much-"

"Wouldn't those changes be good?" Jack probed, now sliding his glass back and forth along the dark wood of the bar. The Doctor said nothing.

"I mean, for example, if you were to go back to Canary Wharf...change what happened...wouldn't that be better?" His words were becoming quieter and slurred as his drunk state lulled him into a sleep. The Doctor swallowed audibly.

"Of course it would be...it would be....amazing, I..." The Doctor's jaw closed, trying to block the idea from his mind. The temptation startled him. It spun round and round his head, latching itself into every crevice of his mind...What if?...

"Come on! What could go wrong-?"

"The universe could unravel."

"That's you being pessimistic. You could make it work, you're the Doctor. Just slip your past self a note or something. Easy." The Doctor spluttered, not knowing how to counter the argument.

"It's not as simple as that-"

"You said it yourself, Doctor. You control time now." Jack gazed intensely at him for a few moments before blearily closing his eyes and resting his head on the tabled. After a few minutes a soft drunken snore rumbled from his chest, leaving the Doctor staring at the ancient stains on the wood of the bar.


	2. Daring To Do It

It was half an hour before the Doctor decided to leave. He left a handful of notes on the bar before quickly penning a note to the sleeping figure that was Jack Harkness. He felt like his mind was going into overload, the possibilities and ideas were leaping over each other, clamouring for attention inside his mind. Maybe it was the atmosphere of depression that he and Jack had built up, or something inside of him had finally snapped, but the Doctor knew one thing for sure. If there was any possibility of getting them back, any at all, then he would do it.

* * *

People pouring out from the nightclubs gave him a wide berth, even in their drunken state knowing not to disturb him. Inside his head was similar to a battleground. His conscious firing off reasons to why he should not even consider this...but they were shot down by his want. His hearts felt like they were about to burst, the rhythmic beat from the dance halls beating in sync with him.

Bounding inside the TARDIS, the Doctor pulled the computer screen around to face him. The room was quiet except for his quiet mutterings and the tapping of the keyboard as he wrote down possible theories and events that could occur if he were to go through with this. And everything he could think of could be fixed. Easily. It was just a case of being in the right place at the right time. Somewhere inside of him, the Doctor could feel the familiar pull of his old instincts kick in, telling him that it was wrong to even think of doing it. But over that, the predominant feeling was that he didn't care anymore. It was worth it if he could have them back.

His two hearts leapt at the thought of having them both on the ship, laughing and probably taking the mickey out of him. Being able to take them for breakfast in France, and then to the Valencia ice rings to skate. The thought almost gave him chills.

Hours later, the Doctor sat back from the computer screen. An intricately detailed plan lay out before him, and he knew that if he followed it to the letter, then it might just work. This tumultuous joy bubbled up inside of him, sheer pleasure at the fact that he may just be able to pull this off. Rose and Donna could be by his side by the end of the day. He just had to do this right.

It was as simple as Jack said. Leave a note. Nothing with too much information. Just tell his old self to take the right lever...then Rose would never have to pull it up...and she would never fall. Everything would fall into place from there. Meet Donna at Christmas, then find her again when he found the lead on the Adipose. Everything seemed so simple...events would happen in the right order, nothing much would change. He whispered it to himself over and over, convincing himself that it was true. Covering his denial with white lies.

* * *

He dodged his old self easily, skulking behind corners and slipping from one shadow to another. His hand was clutched around the scrap of paper he had written his note on, his breathing laboured. Seeing him and her walk from the TARDIS, holding hands and skipping to a fate they had no idea of...it took all his might to keep himself from calling out and stopping them. Telling them to leave Earth and never return. They could even take Jackie with them if that's what it took.

As soon as the couple were out of sight, he slid inside the blue box, clicking the door quietly shut behind him. Unfolding the note, the Doctor looked around for a good place to put it. It was written in Gallifreyan, so he had no concerns over Rose seeing it. She would just think it was a stray thought that he had jotted down before it fled his mind. He was always doing that. Deciding to place it in plain sight led him to tape it to the corner of the monitor. He was bound to see it. Taking a step back, the Doctor thought briefly about ripping the note into pieces. To not play with the timeline like this. He closed his eyes as doubt overtook him in waves.

Had he really become this selfish? There was a time when he would never have dared to do this....Change time for one human girl? Never...But that was then. Things had changed, he had changed.

Swallowing hard, the Doctor quickly slipped from the TARDIS, hurrying along the pathway back to his own ship. Almost not quite believing what he had done. It was just a case of allowing the time line to change...And he could feel it, in his mind...everything was changing. He panted and clutched the wall as the shockwaves overtook him again and again and again. Sparks flew throughout his mind as new memories slipped in beside his old ones, each new thing accompanied by a flash of yellow hair and a wide smile.

Finally, everything stopped. And he was left sitting on the ground, trying to reclaim control of his breath. Focusing hard, the Doctor tried to decipher his new timeline, thread the new memories together...As he finished, a disbelieving smile took over his face...he remembered...he remembered the day he read the note. And everything that followed.

* * *

**Well, I hope you liked. I know where this is going at least lol. So...tell me what you think! xx (And I do apologise if anything in this story doesn't follow the consequences of what may happen in the show from fiddling with the timeline lol)**


	3. Remembering

**Just to let you know, the italics are the Doctor's new memories...just in case you didn't gather lol...Well, hope you like. x**

* * *

_The Doctor looked up with a look of sheer horror across his face. Jackie Tyler was on his ship. Sitting in his TARDIS. Yelling at him! Looking back down at Rose, he frowned as she smirked demurely back at him. Sighing, the Doctor gave up._

"_Go and keep your mother company. I don't want her in the way!" Rose grinned at him as he pointed to the ledge where she was sat, and squeezed his hand as she passed by him to get there. He couldn't help but smile back as he watched the two of them converse. Jackie fidgeted restlessly, uneasy with the motions of the ship. Whereas Rose swayed with it. Completely at ease and in tune with the box that was now her home. Trying to hide his smile, the Doctor cleared his throat and tapped nonsense into the computer, trying to give the impression that he was doing something. As he typed out his name over and over again, a flash of white caught his eyes. His brow knitted together as he glanced up to see a note…written in Gallifreyan? Plucking it from the monitor, he scanned it quickly._

I need you to listen carefully…well, read carefully. But there is something you have to do. Where you're going right now, there is going to be danger. A lot of danger, and I can't tell you more than that, but if you want Rose to be safe then you need to take the right clamp. You'll end up in a white room with two clamps. Take the right. Do not let her take it. I repeat, DO NOT LET HER TAKE IT. If you want her to stay with you then follow these instructions. For our sake.

_The Doctor looked up in confusion, catching the eye of Rose Tyler. She rolled her eyes at him as her mother nattered on in her ear. He laughed half heartedly as his mind reeled form the note. Someone had snuck into his ship to leave that there. The TARDIS was supposed to be impenetrable. The only explanation was that this person had a key. And knew his future….But what could possibly be so dangerous? And what did it mean, stay with you? Would she die? The Doctor shook his head as he cleared that thought from his mind. She just couldn't. On the other side of the TARDIS, Rose laughed loudly at a sarcastic remark from her mother. The Doctor could barely comprehend how something so bright and loud could just…die._

_Pushing the morbid thought to the back of his head, he continued to pilot the ship, the contents of the note running through his mind. The handwriting looked familiar…almost too familiar…But it couldn't be him, he would never dare to do that._

* * *

_As he directed Rose to a clamp, his breath caught in his throat._

Do not let her take it.

"_Rose!? Take the left one!" He called over as he ran to the right wall. She paused and gave him an odd look._

"_Why is that so impor-"_

"_I like the right side, the right one feels better. Hurry up!" The words poured out of him like water from a tap, they needed to be quick. She quickly ran to her lever, awaiting his signal._

"_You ready?" The Doctor called over, tightening his grip on his own lever. As Rose gave him a firm nod, The Doctor returned it, his heart thudding._

_Suddenly, he realized what the note meant. She would fall. Something on this side of the room makes her fall…into the void._

"_Rose! Make sure you hold on. Whatever happens, do not let go of that clamp until I tell you to." A flash of fright fled across her face as her knuckles turned white with the force of clutching the bar. _

_"Doctor!" She shouted with a worried glance towards the window. The Doctor followed her gaze, blanching as he saw the fleet of Daleks in front of them._

_"Now!" Without a moments hesitation they both thrust their levers up and ran to their clamps. Rose on the left and the Doctor on the right. He watched her closely as she shook her head back in an attempt to flick the hair from her face, the magnetic pull carrying them both towards the void. The Daleks screams were piercing, and they both flinched every tiome one crashed into a wall or desk. _

_Slowly, a large grin graced Rose's face. The Doctor's hearts drummed in his ears as he kept watch for any complications, any signs of what the note could indicate__. A startling crash sounded in fornt of him, and his mouth went dry as he realised that a Dalek had crashed into the lever, forcing it offline. Slowly but surely they could feel the force of the void start to get weaker._

_"Doctor-"_

_"Don't move!" He called out as she reached out a hand towards him. Rose retracted it and gripped her clamp tighter. Stretching with all his might, the Doctor's fingers grazed the lever._

_"Doctor, please be careful!" The pull was definitely weakening now, and with one last desperate attempt the Doctor let go of his clamp, transferring his hold to the lever. Battling against the void's drag he pushed his body weight against the lever, a feeling of triumph blossoming inside of him as it resumed it's upright position. He didn't dare try and get back to his clamp as the force picked up, so he threaded his arms as best as he could against the cool metal. The seconds dragged as he fought to keep himself anchored._

_"Hold on!" Rose called out, her voice shaking with anxiety. Finally, with a great ripping sound,the void closed itself. The Doctor fell to the floor and made no attempt to move, but just lay there trying to get his breath back under control. With shaky legs, Rose ran to his side._

_"Are you alright? I thought you were gonna fall..." She breathed, clasping his hand within hers. The Doctor shook his head with a small smile._

_"Of course not. I couldn't leave you could I?" Rose smiled softly back at him as she watched him regain his breath. _

_"Sorry, but do I not get a hug for saving the planet?" She laughed and leant down to hug him, burying her face into his neck. The Doctor raised an arm to drape across her back, sighing with relief. She was still here...she must have fell while trying to put the lever back into place. The thought of her spending an eternity in the void tore him apart, he couldn't even begin to imagine..._

_"I was so scared I was gonna lose you, Doctor. I don't know what I would have done."_

_"Nah, you're stuck with me now." With a grin, he used her to pull himself up. They both stood and surveyed the damage...it looked like a hurricane had ravaged the room. _

_"What do we now?" Rose felt extremely small in the large white room, still in a daze about what had happened. _

_"Are you alright? Your mum-"_

_"It's fine. I made my choice. I would always pick you." Her voice was shaky, but the Doctor could still tell that she meant it. A silence followed as they both stood, unsure of themselves._

_"Why did you choose me...over your family? You and your mum-"_

_"Doctor...you mean more to me than anything. I need to be with you. Besides...can't leave you on your own. You'd be lost without me." The Doctor's mouth twitched into something of a smile._

_"That I would...Let's go home." He sighed as he grasped her hand. The events of the day draining him of all energy. With a smile she squeezed his hand and let him lead her from the white room, never looking back._

**Well, I hope you liked! I suppose if enough people review then I can be motivated to get the next chapter up today...but we'll see lol. xx**


	4. Rose

The Doctor's chest heaved with the effort of keeping his mind under control. It had worked...his memories had changed. She was here. Still. In the TARDIS. Swallowing hard, he pulled himself up, walking unsteadily to his ship. As he walked, the new memories kept flooding in.

* * *

_"So, I've gotta pretend to be sick in hospital, while you go gallivanting around the place?" Rose stood with her hands on her hips, and a raised eyebrow, surveying him. The Doctor rocked back and forth._

"_Pretty much." He said with wide eyes, and she slumped in her seat._

"_That's no fun." She practically pouted, and the Doctor laughed. He sat down beside her, placing an arm around her shoulders._

"_Well, think of it this way, when you're in hospital I can bring you flowers and grapes." He smiled at her and felt her practically melt._

"…_I think I could play the role of a sick person pretty convincingly…"_

* * *

"_My name's Martha. Martha Jones." Rose nodded with apprehension as she shook her hand._

* * *

_He glared across the table at the great man, tired of his attention in Rose. Shakespeare was currently stroking her hand softly, whispering things to her that he could not hear. And as Rose giggled and blushed, the Doctor felt a strange urge to hurt the man._

"_Oh, you are so jealous!" Rose laughed. The Doctor spluttered indignantly._

"_I am not! I'm just opposed to adultery, he has a wife!" Rose laughed and rolled her eyes."Oh, yes, sure. I'm sure that was the reason." The Doctor made a startlingly good impression of a goldfish as he tried to find the words to argue his case. Giving up, he grabbed the glass ball that imprisoned the Carrionite._

"_I need to find a home for these lot." He muttered as he stormed from the room._

* * *

"_I can't believe we're stuck here. In the sixties no less." Rose muttered as they walked into their newly rented apartment. _

"_What's wrong with the sixties?" The Doctor cried out indignantly as he flung himself onto the couch._

"_Nothing…it's just not exactly the most exciting era…"_

"_Oh, Rose, you insult me. This is quite possibly the greatest musical decade ever." And with that he began to reel off the names of various bands. Somewhere in the list Rose caught the names of the Beatles and Bob Dylan._

"_What about that song Lazy Sunday?"_

"_The Small Faces?" The Doctor said, and Rose nodded. She shifted uncomfortably as the Doctor surveyed her with a strange look._

"_What? The songs not that bad-"_

"_No, I'm just astounded by your musical knowledge."_

"_I'm not a complete dunce." She laughed and the Doctor smiled at her._

"_Did you know that the whole cockney accent in that song came about because of an argument they had with the Hollies? Well…" The Doctor's voice faded into the background as Rose closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder. Stuck with him….it wasn't that bad….Not bad at all._

* * *

"_Stop this. Please." He looked up at the man he had once called his friend. Somewhere to his left, Rose __struggled in the grip of two men, and the Captain lay dead on the floor. Only if temporarily. _

"_What to do?" The Master muttered to himself, pursing his lips against his laser screwdriver. As he walked over to Rose, the Doctor struggled to free himself. _

"_Leave her alone." He growled at him, and the Master simply raised an eyebrow at him. A slow smile etched itself onto the man's face as he knelt beside her._

"_She's very pretty." He murmured as he stroked her face. Rose did not move, but simply stared at him with a daring look. _

"_I could do lot with her." The Master looked at the Doctor from the corner of his eye, delighting in the rage that had appeared. Unseen in the corner, Lucy Saxon wrung her hands in contempt._

* * *

_Rose lay her head on the Doctor's back as he sobbed into the lifeless body._

"_I'm sorry." She whispered over and over._

* * *

"_Rose, Doctor, nice to see you again!" The brash red headed woman that was Donna Noble smiled at them._

* * *

"_I've had my bags packed for ages, kept them in the car just in case." The Doctor's eyebrow seemed to raise itself as he looked at the amount of baggage that came with her._

* * *

His head started to ache with the effort of sorting through the memories, so pulled himself out of it. Deciding just to walk and calm himself. Soon enough, the Doctor found himself outside of the TARDIS. Walking into it had never seemed so ominous before he thought as he brought out his key and pushed it gently into the lock. The click it made seemed to echo in his mind…she was in there. The door creaked as always as he pushed it open.

"Rose?" He said quietly as he walked into emerald and gold control room. The door swung shut behind him…. But the control room was empty. A panic settled over him.

"Rose!? Donna!?" He made his way to search the ship, but stumbled backwards as Rose Tyler walked out from the corridor.

"What's wrong?" She asked him with a frown. She was here…it made his mind reel to even think it. He walked back, falling against the control panel. With a worried frown, she walked forwards, her blonde hair glowing in the light. It had been dyed recently, the new colour more like honey than the yellow it was before.

"Nothing…I just…you're here." He closed his eyes at his stupid mutterings. Rose laughed and the sound floated through his mind like a long lost song.

"Well…yeah…did you hit your head or something?" Immediately she pressed her palm against his forehead, the warmth of her skin soothed him.

"No…I'm just in a bit of a daze." The Doctor stood up straight, removing the hand from his head to hold it in his own. Rose raised an eyebrow at him, flicking the fringe from her eyes.

"If you're sure." She murmured, still surveying him with a strange look. Looking at her with something akin to awe, he said the first thing that popped into his head.

"When did you dye your hair?" The question clearly shocked her, her russet eyes growing wide with apprehension.

"Doctor…that happened ages ago…You were at the hairdressers with me…"

* * *

"_You like the colour?" Rose gave him a twirl as he paid the woman at the counter._

"_I think it looks beautiful." He said genuinely, enjoying the blush that fell upon her cheeks._

* * *

The memory hurtled to the front of his mind.

"Oh, right. Of course." The Doctor laughed nonchalantly, trying to shrug his slip up off. Rose brought her mobile from her pocket.

"Do you think we should go and get Donna now? It's only been an hour or so, but there's something bothering you-"

"When did she say to pick her up?" Rose gave him that funny look once more.

"She said to pick her up tonight, Doctor. Around eleven. Lee was taking her out on a date…?"

* * *

"_I think I'll be done by 11...that o.k with you guys?"_

"_Can't see why not." The Doctor said in between pressing buttons and pulling levers._

"_Do you think he'll bring me flowers?" Donna's usually loud voice was now soft and sweet. The Doctor looked up and smiled as she discussed her future date with Rose. _

"_Yeah…I mean, it's like, the laws of relationships." She replied back with a frown to the Doctor._

"_What?" He gave her an affronted gaze._

"_When was the last time you brought me flowers?" _

"_Well…I can't-"_

"_Exactly."_

* * *

"Look, Rose, I'm sorry. My head's just a bit fuzzy. I'll be fine after a little rest." After a moment of her staring at him warily, the Doctor pulled her into a hug. She squealed as he squeezed her.

"Well, I'd be lying if I said you haven't behaved in any weirder way before." The Doctor smiled into the soft skin of her neck, smelling the faint leftovers of an old perfume. Suddenly, he started to laugh. Loudly and unrestrained, making the girl in his arms jump. As the joy poured out of him, she untangled herself from his arms.

"Seriously, Doctor? Have you taken something?" The laughter slowly faded to small chuckles.

"No. I'm just happy. Can't I be happy?"

"Of course you can." Rose told him without a second thought. The Doctor stood back and quickly filtered through his new memories.

"I can't quite recall, Rose. I don't believe that I have ever taken you to Barcelona?" With a small smile, she shook her head.

"You never got around to it." Nodding, the Doctor ran to the control panel.

"Well…let's go."

"What about Donna?"

"We don't have to get her until eleven....And this is a time machine." With a grin, Rose ran to his side, pulling the levers as she went. He looked up at her as she helped pilot the TARDIS, not quite believing his own luck.

"What?" She said without looking at him, somehow knowing that he was staring at her.

"This is...perfect." Stopping, Rose cocked her head to the side to look at him. He held her gaze, trying to convey all of the emotions that he was feeling into one look. Slowly, she returned to her previous actions.

"It is." She murmured with a smile.

* * *

**Well, I hope you liked! Tell me what you thought. xx**


	5. Barcelona

**Sorry about the lack of updating, but here's a long chapter for you xx**

* * *

The sapphire door to the TARDIS creaked as it opened. Rose's head peaked around the corner, followed by her body. The Doctor was close on her heels, grinning so hard that his cheeks were beginning to hurt him. They had landed on top of a hill, giving them an unrestricted view of the town below them. There was a soft breeze that blew the scent of honey around them. Rose walked slowly to the edge of the hill, her mouth turning up into a smile and her eyes wide with amazement.

"Doctor…this is…this is beautiful." The sound of her voice mingled with the faint shouting of a festival proceeding below them.

"Beautiful?" He asked as he walked towards her, the long yellow grass tickling his hands. His eyes swept over the landscape. The sky was a glistening blanket over them, shining like the inside of an orange the Doctor thought with a small smile. The hill was steep, and beyond it lay a small town. The buildings all lay low to the ground, each one a pale yellow. And pouring from each building looked like tiny black ants, congregating into the square. The black ants, Rose realised a split second later, were people. Multicoloured lights winked invitingly at them both, strings of them draped from building to building. And yes, all of this was exceedingly beautiful. But as the Doctor looked to his right, he couldn't help but believe he had found something infinitely more beautiful.

Rose stood with her honey coloured hair blowing softly about her face, the strands of it dancing in the breeze. Her chest heaved with the excitement of a new planet, a new place with new sights and new sounds and new people. Something shone in the light on an upward movement of her chest, and the Doctor cocked his head to one side. A silver locket was sitting on her skin. But that wasn't the most interesting thing….the locket was covered in Gallifreyan symbols, that was his language.

* * *

_"I made you something." The Doctor grinned as he lay next to Rose in the middle of a forest with purple leaves and yellow wood. She lifted her sunglasses with a smile._

_"You didn't have to do that-"_

_"I know. But I wanted to." His hearts flipped as she blushed prettily, turning the colour of her namesake. Sitting up, Rose knelt at his side, eager to see his present._

_"Close your eyes." He murmured as he touched the cold metal in his pocket. Her downy eyelashes lowered to touch her pale cheeks, and her lips pursed in anticipation. Trying to handle it as carefully as possible, the Doctor held it up in front of her._

_"Put your hands together." Rose obliged and put both hands in front of her, into which the Doctor poured the chain and the locket._

_"Open your eyes." A few flutters later and her chocolate eyes found the silver in her palms._

_"Doctor…this is….amazing." She laughed, and threw her arms around her neck. As her composure was regained, her fingers started to trace over the markings of that were the Doctor's language._

_"What does it say?" The Doctor shifted closer until they were almost nose to nose. The tension was palpable as he met her eyes, so he dropped his to look at the locket._

_"It says…I love you not only for what you are…but for what I am when I am with you. You know, I thought it was…appropriate. But I don't know, it seems a bit daft now-" Rose watched him stutter for a moment, before throwing every inhibition she had away to place her lips gently against his. It was brief and soft, and the only the clue that the Doctor had to accept that it was not just his imagination, was the blush that befell her. A hesitant smile crept up on her face, and the Doctor returned it almost as shyly._

* * *

He gasped as his mind hurtled back to the present.

"Can we go down, Doctor? The festival looks to be in full swing." Rose beamed at him, the life and light in her face seemed to radiant and capture him. Sharing the infectious joy. Shaking his head to clear it, the Doctor smiled.

"Absolutely! What else do you think we're here for?" Grabbing her hand, they ran all the way down the hill, their laughter ringing through the air.

* * *

The condensation from the Doctor's cocktail glass cooled the warm skin of his hands as he walked arm in arm with Rose Tyler. The sky was turning from it's glittering orange to a burnt red, and the Doctor was struck with melancholy. Maybe the reason that he was so in love with this planet was because it reminded him of his own.

"You o.k?" Rose's warm voice grounded him, stopping him from floating off into the spiral of woe he was ensuing for himself.

"Yeah. I had a good time at a party, good drinks, _great _food. And now I get to go home with the prettiest girl there. Why wouldn't I be?" Rose laughed and pressed her body against his. The Doctor stood still as she gave him a firm kiss.

"Well, I think we can make the night a little bit more interesting." The Doctor looked at her intently. Where on Earth had this come from?

"Can we?" Rose grinned.

"Yes. I think we should go back to the TARDIS where I can do that thing you like-"

"What thing!?" Her eyebrow was slowly tugged into an arch. She leant over and whispered into his ear something that even Jack Harkness would have blushed at.

"Rose!" Jumping back in confusion and shock, the Doctor turned red as her surveyed her.

"What!?"

"Why…Where did that come from!? Rose, what on Earth are you doing?" Rose stepped back in what looked like hurt, her eyes full of uncertainty.

"I thought you might want to…we usually…I'm sorry." With her eyes wide, she turned and sped up in her walk back to the TARDIS. And this slowly turned into a run. The Doctor pushed his cocktail into the hands of a passing man, and ran towards her. He stopped as he remembered.

* * *

_"Doctor, why don't you ever tell me anything!" Rose gripped her hair in frustration as her face turned into an ever deeper shade of red._

_"I don't have to tell you everything!" The Doctor kicked the TARDIS console in his own rage, unable to contain it. Rose looked at him steadily. Mascara stains lined her red eyes and cheeks._

_"Well, when you do something like marry the duchess we're staying with, then it becomes my business!"_

_"I didn't even know that it even counted as marriage!" Rose whirled around, throwing her jumper that had been draped over the chair at him._

_"Fine. Fine! I can take that! But did you have to snog her!?"_

_"She pounced on me!" Rose scoffed and turned away from him, leaving him floundering helplessly._

_"You never seem to do anything. It's always them kissing you. You're always the innocent."_

_"But I am!" The room turned quiet as she sat down on the floor, her quiet sniffling the only source of disturbance. The Doctor swallowed and lowered himself on the floor beside her._

_"Why do care so much, Rose? It was just a kiss-"_

_"Yeah, but I don't want you kissing other girls! I can't stand the thought, and it's all just…it's horrible."_

_"But why?" The Doctor pushed her._

_"Because I love you." The quiet murmur left her._

_"What?"_

_"You heard me." Rose muttered almost grudgingly. Silence followed for another two minutes._

_"So…you wouldn't mind it if I kissed you?" Rose looked at him with narrowed eyes._

_"Are you really that-?" Her snappy retort was muffled by the Doctor's lips on hers. As they broke apart, Rose gazed at him with watery eyes._

_"What are you doing?" The Doctor sat back and sighed._

_"I'm fed up with following the rules. I want to do what makes me happy….and you most certainly make me happy-"_

_"So you want to do me?" She said without missing a beat, and the Doctor burst out laughing. Rose followed suit, and that was how their relationship blossomed from tears and tantrums._

* * *

The Doctor was shocked into stillness for a moment, almost not believing it. Him and Rose. The Doctor and Rose, Rose and the Doctor, whatever way you would want to put it…they were together. _Together _together. And looking ahead, he could no longer see her, in her confusion and uncertainty she had wandered off.

"Rose!" He started to run, pushing himself to reach her. Something in him felt lighter…happier with the thought that they were…that they _were_. And with a new burst of energy he sped up.

As he ran, he started to hear raised voices…and he could make out that one was Rose's. His legs carried him faster as his hearts started to pound. The voices were getting louder and louder, his brain started to cloud over with one thought.

_Get to Rose, save Rose, get to Rose, save Rose_

It was only when he knew that he was almost there that the most bloodcurdling scream he had ever heard reached his ears. One that belonged to Rose Tyler. And one that would haunt him for the rest of his life.

* * *

**So…I know I haven't updated in a while, but I gave you an long chapter to make up for it. And if I get let's say…10 reviews for this, then I'm sure I could get the next chapter up in the morning…if not then you must wait until Tuesday lol xx**


	6. I've Got To Change It

**O.k...so I know I said Tuesday, but I finished it ahead of time...So, hope you like! xx**

The Doctor rounded the corner in time to see her fall. Her body crashed to the ground as if it had been robbed of all it's bones. As he dropped to her side, he could see shadowy figures running from the scene.

"Rose? What's wrong? What happened?" Her coffee coloured eyes struggled to focus on his. Her golden hair was splayed out around her, some of it clumped together with something that looked almost black in the dimming light.

"They took my locket." She gasped, one hand scrabbling at her chest. And indeed there was only pale skin where the chain once rested. The Doctor looked around for any form of life, any form of help. But the street was concealed by numerous yellow buildings, a dank alleyway that no one ventured down.

"Rose, listen to me, where does it hurt? Tell me, quickly." Her shaking hand grabbed his, and she guided it to the side of her neck. A noise somewhere between a gasp and a sob clawed it's way from his throat. Her neck was wet. It was warm and sticky. And as the Doctor raised his hand to study it in the light, he could see the rainbow of lights shining in the red substance. Blood. Trying to quell his panic, he forced the fear from his eyes. The last thing he wanted was for her to see that.

"Rose, it's o.k. I'll sort it." His voice shook as he tore a long strip of his shirt, bundling it and pressing it firmly against the wound on her neck. As the Doctor's hands came into contact with Rose's skin, he could feel the cold sweat rising up on her.

"Someone help!? I need an a medic, anyone!?" He paused for a moment, straining for any kind of reply. A great sigh of relief left him as footsteps approached them quickly. Without looking up from Rose, he began reeling off instructions.

"I need someone to go and get a Doctor, a proper medic. Tell them that we have a human woman in her early twenties with what looks like a knife wound in her neck. And I think they've torn a major artery…What are you waiting for!?" The Doctor looked up and cried out in frustration as the man now in front of him didn't move. The man was half concealed in shadows, and as Rose's eyes shifted aimlessly to see the figure, she choked.

"Doctor, that's…he took my locket…" Her voice rasped. Before the Doctor could react, a loud voice from behind them called out.

"Hit him already!" And the next thing he saw was a metal pole connecting with the side of his head.

* * *

_"Rose?" The Doctor frowned as his voice echoed down the corridors of the TARDIS, recieving no reply._

_"Where is she?" He sighed to himself, setting off on the adventure that was finding Rose Tyler. After twenty minutes of searching, he smiled as he saw a familiar figure lying in the gardens._

_"There you are! I was wondering where you'd gone...." He trailed off as he saw the watery mascara tracks across her cheeks. She barely acknowledged him, her only response was a shaky breath in and out. The Doctor slowly sat down beside her, following her gaze to the artificial sky above them. Perfect stars winked back at them. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Rose swallowed hard._

_"My mum just called." She hiccupped out, and the Doctor's moved his hand to thread through her hair._

_"What's wrong?" He whispered to her, a slow feeling of dread creeping through him._

_"My Nan died." Rose whispered back, her eyes glassy with tears. The Doctor lowered his head._

_"I'm sorry."_

_"Yeah." Silence followed for the next few minutes, the Doctor stroking her hair, unsure of what to do. He wasn't sure how to deal with her reaction. If she was crying or angry, then he knew what to do. But this....It was clear that she had been crying, but now she was....blank. Like the emotion had seeped out of her and into the grass which she lay on. He didn't know how to deal with that._

_"Rose…I'm so sorry. I met her, she was a wonderful person. She made great cookies-"_

_"She just died!" Rose cried out, slamming her fist against the moist Earth. The Doctor's head snapped up, looking at her sudden fury in shock._

_"I-"_

_"Of nothing! It was nothing. There was no reason for her to die! It was old age. Old age. She died...because she was old. She was wasting away, and then she died. How is that fair?" She sobbed angrily, and the Doctor gripped her hand._

_"Rose, it isn't fair. In no one's view."_

_"Then why?" Her eyes turned to him, and he almost recoiled at the blazing anger within them. It took him a few moments to answer._

_"That's....just the way life....that's life. You live....and you make the most of it...but everything comes to an end." The Doctor said slowly, his heart aching at the sadness in her chocolate coloured eyes._

_"It's not fair." Rose breathed in and out deeply for a minute, before letting a sob overtake her._

_"It's never fair. I know....it always hurts when someone you love...has to leave you."_

_"But I could see it. Every time I visited her, I could see her ageing. I could see her wasting away in front of my eyes."_

_"She wasn't wasting away Rose. She was getting old. That's what happens. It's not fair, but everyone-"_

_"Not you." She whispered. The Doctor's mouth closed, and he swallowed hard, knowing the conversation had taken a turn for the worst._

_"Not you. You don't get old." She pressed on, tears slipping from her eyes. He frowned._

_"No." He agreed quietly, wishing to leave the subject alone. Rose sat up, watching the small water feature in the garden. The water glistening silver in the moonlight._

_"I'm getting older. With each day that goes by, I'm wasting away. Just like her. And I'll die, just like her." The tears choked her voice, and the Doctor's hearts beat harder._

_"Won't I?" She addressed him, and the Doctor did nothing. Rose pressed a hand to her head._

_"I don't wanna grow old. I wanna be with you forever. I don't want you to watch me die, not like my Nan."_

_"Do you really want to live forever?" He said quietly, his eyebrows raised, and Rose regarded him. The artificial wind blew her hair softly about her face before she nodded._

_"I want to be young forever. I can't...I can't just..." She trailed off as the tears came fast and thick down her face. The Doctor pulled her into a hug, letting her weep into his shirt._

* * *

With a groan, the Doctor awoke from his realm of unconsciousness, the last of the memory dredging away to the back of his mind. As he opened his eyes, he immediately closed them. Every movement of his head racked up a marvellous pain, it was almost unbearable. He struggled to remember how he had ended up there. Barcelona. He remembered Barcelona. And cocktails. And running. And Rose-

_Rose._

The Doctor gasped and sat bolt upright, ignoring the throbbing in his head. She was hurt.

"Rose!?" Struggling to his feet, the Doctor spun around in a circle, trying to spot her. The motion made him dizzy and he was perilously close to vomiting, but he needed to find her. He stumbled as he turned this way and that, searching for her.

"Rose!?…Please?" No one was around, and the Doctor started to run, staggering half of the way. It was only when he rounded the corner that he saw a figure huddled in the shadows.

"Rose…" He cried out in relief, falling to his knees beside her. She was bundled up into the corner, her body stained with dried blood. A shaking hand reached out to touch her shoulder.

"Hey…it's o.k. I'm here now." The Doctor softly tugged on her shoulder, crying out as her body collapsed into his lap. Her skin was cold…freezing. And as the Doctor stared at her, his gaze still hazy from the blow to his head, he couldn't detect any movement of her chest. No warmth from the breath that escaped her mouth and onto his legs.

"No…no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no…" He repeated this new mantra to himself over and over. Gently, he turned Rose over, lying her flat out on her back. She had been bundled into this corner beside a gutter. So no one would notice her. Still muttering his denial, he placed his cheek on the left side of her chest.

It took him five minutes to accept that she wasn't breathing

It took him an hour before he stopped trying to resuscitate her.

It took him two hours before he stopped crying and moved her body.

* * *

Sitting in the worn leather couch beside the TARDIS console, the Doctor breathed heavily, still unsure of the days events. A part of him was telling him she was gone. Her body was on their bed, almost as if she was sleeping. But the rest of his being was screaming at him. Telling him that it wasn't true. The ball of anguish in his throat pushed itself out of him, his sobs beginning to echo through the TARDIS. And then all of a sudden a wave of fury overtook him. Standing up, he kicked the chair, slammed the buttons, wrenched a lever from the console. His mind was buzzing and hissing with his rage and agony.

"She can't die." He whispered to himself.

"She can't die!" He screamed it this time. Screamed it to the empty room and to whatever deity would be listening.

"Change it…I've gotta change it….I…" The Doctor violently wiped the tears from his eyes, grabbing a piece of paper from a drawer. With a shaking hand he scrawled a quick sentence.

**STAY AWAY FROM BARCELONA**

He ran around the console now, pulling and slamming and dialling the right codes he needed to get to his destination. The journey was short and rough, and as soon as the ship landed with a bump, he was out of the door.

The Doctor panted as he watched his other self leave the TARDIS. He had just delivered his first note. As soon as his other self was out of sight, the Doctor ran as fast as he could, pelting into the other TARDIS. He pinned the note beside the first, praying that it would work.

* * *

**Sorry if I didn't get any of the medical bit right. But anyways, hope you liked...And uh...tell me what you thought! xx**


	7. Halilia

****

Well, hope you like!

* * *

As the Doctor reached his own TARDIS, he felt it happen again. The flashes and sparks erupted in his mind once more, the whirl of new colours and new sights and new smells invading his head. Memories of Barcelona and blood fled to the back of his mind.

* * *

"_Look, Rose, I'm sorry. My head's just a bit fuzzy. I'll be fine after a little rest." After a moment of her staring at him warily, the Doctor pulled her into a hug. She squealed as he squeezed her._

"_Well, I'd be lying if I said you haven't behaved in any weirder way before." The Doctor smiled into the soft skin of her neck, smelling the faint leftovers of an old perfume. Suddenly, he started to laugh. Loudly and unrestrained, making the girl in his arms jump. As the joy poured out of him, she untangled herself from his arms._

"_Seriously, Doctor? Have you taken something?" The laughter slowly faded to small chuckles._

"_No. I'm just happy. Can't I be happy?"_

"_Of course you can." Rose told him without a second thought. The Doctor stood back and quickly filtered through his new memories._

"_I can't quite recall, Rose. I don't believe that I have ever taken you to…" The Doctor trailed off as the note seemed to flash before his eyes._

_**STAY AWAY FROM BARCELONA**_

"_Doctor? You haven't taken me to…?" Rose cocked her head to the side, her honey hair cascading down her shoulder like a waterfall. The Doctor was momentarily distracted by the thought._

"_Doctor?" She said a bit more firmly. _

"_Yes, sorry. I…I lost my train of thought." He swallowed hard, his heart thumping at the thought of what danger could have been awaiting them._

"…_Doctor-"_

"_Anyway, yes! I have never taken you to Hawaii before have I?" Visibly thrown by the question, Rose's mouth worked wordlessly._

"_I-"_

"_No? Brilliant! You'll love it there!"_

_"What about Donna?"_

_"We don't have to get her until eleven....And this is a time machine." With a grin, Rose ran to his side, pulling the levers as she went. He looked up at her as she helped pilot the TARDIS, not quite believing his own luck._

_"What?" She said without looking at him, somehow knowing that he was staring at her._

_"This is...perfect." Stopping, Rose cocked her head to the side to look at him. He held her gaze, trying to convey all of the emotions that he was feeling into one look. Slowly, she returned to her previous actions._

_"It is." She murmured with a smile._

"_You'll love it in Hawaii, Rose." She paused in her actions and looked wistfully into the distance, evidently in some memory or the other._

"_I always wanted to go to Hawaii. Me and mum just…well, we never had the money. She saved up once, for ages. Then she had enough to take us away, to Florida or California she said. But then the day before my 14th__ birthday we got burgled. Took all the money."_

"_Why didn't she have it in the bank?" The Doctor said softly, and Rose laughed gently._

"_Mum always had a problem with the banks. Said they couldn't be trusted." The Doctor offered her a small smile. She just shook her head and grinned back at him._

"_It doesn't matter. All in the past now." They worked the control panel in silence until an idea struck the Doctor almost from out of the blue._

"_Rose, instead of Hawaii, which is relatively a small place in comparison to…well, everything…How about we go to the planet Halilia? It is almost identical to Hawaii, only it covers the entire planet, and it's uninhabited." He wiggled his eyebrows at her, and she laughed a yes. With a new spurt of energy, he erased the flight setting and set to work on the new coordinates. _

* * *

The Doctor gasped and clutched onto the control panel, gulping down air. As he regained his breath, the sound of soft footsteps pulled him upright.

"Doctor, you alright?" Rose's gently voice reached him and he could have cried right there and then.

"I'm fine. I just….I got an electric shock from the console. Hurt like hell." He laughed and feigned rubbing his hand. Her eyebrow arched, and he suddenly became aware that she had changed.

"You…" He started to point this out to her until he remembered.

* * *

_"It's very hot out there Rose, you may wanna change out of those clothes. You'll roast."_

* * *

"I what?"

"You look wonderful." The Doctor changed his words skilfully. And it was no lie. She did. A white sundress now clung to her skin, stopping mid thigh to show off her already tanned skin. Rose blushed and looked down, stretching the dress.

"Thanks…so, you gonna set us off anytime soon?" The Doctor jumped and nodded a yes, throwing back a lever, hurtling the TARDIS towards Halilia.

* * *

The door swung shut behind them both as they stepped onto the alien soil.

"You weren't kidding when you said it was hot out here, Doctor." The air was thick and heavy with the humidity, like treacle.

"You gonna be alright in that?" Rose frowned as she realised that he was still in his suit. Granted he was only in his shirt sleeves, but he must be boiling. The Doctor sniffed with an air of superiority.

"Me? Course I am. I'm a Time Lord, Rose. We have built in air conditioning." He grabbed her hand and set off through the jungle. After at least twenty minutes of pushing their way through emerald bushes and russet undergrowth, Rose could no longer bear it.

"Doctor, do we have to go much further? Honestly, it's killing me. The air is actually choking me." She whined and the Doctor whirled around, concern across his face. Images of her blood covered body invaded his mind.

"Are you o.k? Do we need to go back? Rose?" She pushed his hands from her face.

"No. I just wanna know how long this is gonna take. To get to wherever we're going." The Doctor placed his hands back on her face, just to make sure that she wasn't overheating.

"5 minutes tops. But seriously, Rose. Can you carry on? I can carry you back-" He frowned as he felt a lump on her shoulder.

"Rose, what is that?" It was a large red bump, protruding from her shoulder. It looked angry and crimson

"It's nothing! I got bitten by something like, ten minutes ago, it's fine." She sighed at his constant fussing.

"Rose, let me look-"

"Doctor, why are you being so over protective?" He sighed and let his hands fall away from his face.

"I'm just trying to make sure you're alright…I can't lose you, Rose." His glassy eyes turned upon hers, the images of her death constantly bombarding his mind. That feeling of helplessness returned to him as she hugged his waist.

"Doctor, what has gotten into you? We're good. Nothing's gonna take me away from you." The Doctor closed his eyes at that.

"You don't know-"

"I may not, but you have to stop thinking about it then. Enjoy the time we have, here and now. O.k? Can you do that?" Reluctantly he nodded, forcing the memories behind the metal door in his mind and locking it.

"Right then. Come on, take me to this place you wanna take me to." She offered him her hand, and he took it, leading her off into the jungle.

* * *

Soon after that they came to a small waterfall, and it took Rose's breath away. It ran over large sloping grey rocks, until finally rushing past the jade plants into a small crystal clear pool.

"It's gorgeous!" She laughed, pulling on his hand, leading them both to it. The roar of the water blended into the sound of the distant birds.

"Told ya you'd love it." The Doctor stood immensely pleased with himself on top of a rock that overlooked the whole setting.

"Is it safe to swim in?" Rose looked to him, her eyes full of eagerness and excitement.

"Yeah. It's water. Perfectly safe." She grinned and pulled off her sundress, revealing a white bikini she had obviously come prepared with. He watched her, marvelling at her youthful innocence as she slipped into the still blanket of water.

"Doctor, are you not coming? The water's the perfect temperature." Trying to ignore the pleading in her face, the Doctor shook his head.

"Nah, I've got a good book to catch up on. I'm gonna relax here." Rose frowned briefly and splashed at him.

"You're no fun."

"Well, I'm an old man now. I can't keep up with you kids anymore." He threw back, and laughed as she rolled her eyes and took off to swim laps around the pool.

* * *

An hour later, the Doctor heard the sounds of Rose pulling herself from the water. He placed his book beside him, looking at her expectantly.

"Have a good swim?" He smiled, and she nodded breathlessly.

"Yeah. I just feel so tired now." She grabbed her hair and began to wring it out, the water splashing onto the ground. Walking towards him, she practically collapsed beside him. The Doctor frowned as her chest heaved, trying to grasp the air to her lungs.

"Rose? Are you o.k?" He sat up in a panic, hovering over her. She shook her head and swallowed hard.

"No, I'm fine. It's just…I feel so dizzy. It's probably too much sun." But somehow the Doctor doubted it.

"Rose, let me look at you. Can you sit up for me?" He said gently, quickly helping her as she forced herself to sit upright. As he pulled his stethoscope from his pockets, the Doctor stopped. The bite on her shoulder had doubled in size, and if it was possible, had deepened in colour. Dropping the stethoscope, he gently touched the bite.

"Does that hurt, Rose?"

"No…it's uncomfy." He swallowed hard as he removed the sonic screwdriver from his pocket. He scanned the bite-mark, praying that it wasn't hurting her in any way. As he scanned, Rose's fingers brushed his arm.

"Doctor…I feel sick." And looking at her properly, he could see it her face. Her eyes were dull and her skin was turning a sickly shade of yellow.

"Rose, we have to go back to the TARDIS. Now. I'll carry you, come on." He made to pick her up, but she feebly pushed him away.

"I can't move, I'm too tired-"

"I'll carry you-"

"No, Doctor…I can't." Despite her protests, the Doctor picked her up, trying to block the sound of her weak cries out.

"If you were to just let me sleep, Doctor, I'll be better-"

"Well, then, let me take you back to the TARDIS for my piece of mind. I'll scan you and then you can go to sleep, yeah?" Her resounding groan made his pace pick up.

"What's wrong with me?" She whispered into his chest.

"Whatever bit you…Rose, it's poisonous. I need you back in the TARDIS and then I can fix you." The only response he got this time was her laboured breathing and her small fists clutching tighter onto his shirt.

* * *

It was halfway into the journey before the Doctor realised that she had stopped breathing.

* * *

**I'm not gonna lie to anyone here, I do feel terrible for doing this, but I know where I'm going, so bear with me lol. Now, if I can get at least 7 reviews for this chapter, then I can put the next one up tomorrow. Hoped you liked! xx**


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